 Most
women have perfectly healthy pregnancies
with only minor discomforts; however,
it never hurts to be informed about
the warning signs of pregnancy complications
that can cause serious health problems
for both you and your baby. Every
woman hopes for an easy, complication-free
experience, but every pregnancy is
different. By knowing the symptoms
and effects of some of the most common
pregnancy disorders, you can reduce
your risk by knowing when to see your
doctor right away.
Fact
or Fiction?
As
most women have been told, you shouldn't
clean out the kitty litter box when
you're pregnant. Was that just a way
to get husbands to do the dirty work
for 9 months? Although that's a nice
benefit, the real reason is to reduce
your exposure to Toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis
is a parasitic infection that can
be passed on to the baby, which can
be contracted from cat feces or soil,
or from eating raw or undercooked
meat that contains the parasite. Symptoms
to look for include flu-like symptoms
such as headache, sore throat, muscle
pain and enlarged lymph nodes. If
the infection is left too long, it
can spread to your baby and cause
more serious health problems including
central nervous system disorders,
anemia and inflamed retinas. The good
news there is a simple blood test
to diagnose Toxoplasmosis and there
are antibiotics to treat it.
Another
commonly known restriction is avoiding
soft cheeses and deli meats when pregnant.
This is to avoid Listeriosis, an infection
from the listeria bacteria sometimes
found in those products. Symptoms
of Listeriosis include flu-like symptoms
with fever, muscle aches, chills,
and sometimes diarrhea or nausea that
can progress to severe headache and
stiff neck. This is another infection
that can be diagnosed by a simple
blood test and treated with antibiotics,
but it must be caught early, as it
can lead to serious consequences such
as fetal-meningitis or stillbirth.
Not
all pregnancy complications are caused
by infection. Another serious complication
is the gestational diabetes, which
is a form of diabetes that usually
occurs in the second half of pregnancy.
Symptoms include extreme thirst, hunger
or fatigue. Unfortunately, there is
often no symptoms at all. However,
your doctor should test your blood
sugar regularly, so always be sure
to keep your prenatal appointments.
Most women are able to control their
blood sugars through diet and exercise,
but insulin shots may be necessary
to keep sugar levels under control.
Left untreated, gestational diabetes
can cause your baby to grow larger,
thereby making birth difficult. It
can also lead to low blood sugar,
jaundice and an increased risk of
congenital birth defects for your
baby.
Common
Pregnancy Complications
While
no one anticipates problems during
pregnancy, it's important to understand
the possible pregnancy complications
should a problem arise. These pregnancy
disorders listed below are all too
common, but advancements are being
made all the time to treat them more
effectively and to give you and your
baby the best chance for a happy,
healthy birth.
- Preeclampsia
is one of the most serious
and most common pregnancy
complications. Preeclampsia
is pregnancy-related high
blood pressure that usually
occurs after 20 weeks. Symptoms
include high blood pressure
(usually around 140/90), protein
in the urine, swelling of
the hands and face, sudden
weight gain (1 pound a day
or more), blurred vision,
severe headaches, dizziness
and intense stomach pain.
Preeclampsia can cause kidney
failure for both the mother
and child, lack of growth
of the baby, premature labor
and stillbirth. The only cure
is the delivery, which may
not be best for the baby.
If it is not in the best interest
to deliver, your doctor will
monitor you and the baby closely
and may require bed rest at
home or in the hospital, until
your blood pressure stabilizes
or until delivery.
- Placental
Abruption, a condition
in which the placenta separates
from the uterine wall before
delivery, depriving the baby
of oxygen. Severe oxygen deprivation
can cause brain damage and
death. Symptoms include vaginal
bleeding during the second
half of pregnancy, cramping,
abdominal pain and uterine
tenderness. When the separation
of the placenta is minor,
bed rest for a few days usually
stops the bleeding. Moderate
cases may require complete
bed rest, while severe cases
(when more than half of the
placenta separates) can require
immediate medical attention
and the delivery of the baby.
If you ever have any bleeding
during pregnancy, you should
see your doctor immediately.
|
There
are many important facts to learn
about pregnancy.
In AnnsPregnancyComplications.com
we will cover many topics of concern
and common pregnancy complications
that others have been through to assist
you with your pregnancy.
-
Understanding
Miscarriage - This section
is dedicated to assisting women
experiencing a miscarriage, trying
to conceive again, or are pregnant
after enduring a loss or losses.
-
Ectopic
Pregnancy - If a fertilized
egg implants outside the uterus,
it's called an ectopic pregnancy.
-
Blighted
Ovum (Early Pregnancy Failure)
- A
blighted ovum is characterized
through ultrasound by the absence
of an embryo (anembryonic pregnancy).
-
Molar
Pregnancy - A molar pregnancy
happens when there are certain
abnormalities in the fertilized
egg at conception. The fertilized
egg either never develops into
an embryo (this is called a complete
mole) or it develops abnormally
and can't survive (this is a partial
mole).
More
to Come so please check back from
time to time as we will be adding
more information on pregnancy complications.
We
hope this information will help bring
you as much comfort as humanly possible
in such a emotional and important
time..
|
